Ta'al Arab Movement for Change

   An Arab political party formed for the election to the 14th Knesset in 1996 and headed by Ahmad Tibi. It was considered controversial due to Tibi's longstanding close relationship with Yasser Arafat and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO); in fact, Ta'al was registered as a political party only after seven attempts to disqualify it were rejected by the Central Elections Committee, and attempts were made to disqualify Tibi from participating in the 1996 election campaign because of his personal association with Arafat. The party failed to pass the threshold to take a seat in the 14th Knesset. Ta'al joined with Azmi Bishara's National Democratic Alliance (Balad) Party to contest the 1999 election to the 15th Knesset, taking a total of three mandates. However, Tibi subsequently broke away from Balad and sat as a one-man Ta'al faction in the Knesset.

   For the 2003 election to the 16th Knesset, Tibi and Ta'al chose to enter into a coalition with Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash). Tibi was initially disqualified by the Central Elections Committee due to his association with Arafat and with Fatah-Tanzim leader Marwan Barghouti. However, this decision was overturned on appeal to the Supreme Court of Israel, and the Ta'al-Hadash joint ticket went on to win three seats in the 16th Knesset. For the 2006 election, Ta'al joined forces with the United Arab List and won four seats in the 17th Knesset.

   See also Arabs in Israel.